Wins by the Orlando, Milwaukee, Atlanta, and Chicago on Friday night have locked in the playoff seeds for all six Eastern Conference playoff teams, along with the four play-in clubs.
Here’s how the top 10 teams in the East will finish the regular season, as the NBA confirms (via Twitter):
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Boston Celtics
- New York Knicks
- Indiana Pacers
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Detroit Pistons
- Orlando Magic
- Atlanta Hawks
- Chicago Bulls
- Miami Heat
The play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference will feature the Magic hosting the Hawks on Tuesday and the Bulls hosting the Heat on Wednesday. The Orlando/Atlanta winner will claim the No. 7 spot in the playoffs and face the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. The loser of that game will host the Chicago/Miami winner on Friday for the No. 8 spot and the right to face the Cavaliers in round one.
The Knicks will match up with the Pistons in the first round of the playoffs, while the Pacers and Bucks will meet in round one for a second consecutive year, with Indiana claiming home court advantage this time around.
We got a little more clarity on the Western Conference playoff picture by the end of Friday night, with the Lakers clinching the No. 3 seed by beating Houston and the Grizzlies now locked into the play-in tournament as a result of their loss to Denver. However, there are still several playoff berths and seeds up in the air, with the Nuggets, Clippers, Warriors, and Timberwolves vying for the final three spots in the West’s top six.
37-44 makes the playoffs.
Once again, the lesser conference, everyone.
No divisions, no conferences, top 12 teams make the playoffs is the only way….of course no professional sport will ever agree to that. Nor the fans let’s be honest.
@braveshomer
You post made me really think about this so I’m going to longpost…it really is stupid how much the schedule plays into the success of some teams who appear “successful” during the regular season, but get swept in the first round. If you have 2 teams tanking in your division, you get to feast on them all year, whereas other teams will miss the playoffs because their div was tough, but that team is better than the team who feasts on rebuilding teams all year. Unfair scheduling really ticks me off to be honest. All USA pro sports leagues except the NFL should remove divisions and have all the teams play each other equal amounts of times home and away during the regular season – that will remove all the phony teams who get lucky schedules or who face a lot of good teams who just happen to have injuries that night. It might mean more or less games but it will narrow down who the actual-best teams are, way better than what we are doing now.
MLB teams play 29 opponents 6 times (3 home, 3 away). 174 game season is close to 162. It will also mean only the top 4 teams need to play in the playoffs (1v4, 2v3), so you have longer playoffs series instead of more of them. Best of 9 or even 11 games to give length/drama to them.
NBA teams play 29 opponents either 2 times (1 home 1 away) (58 game season) or 4 times (2 home, 2 away) (116 game season). Unfortunately unlike MLB, the NBA season is right in the middle of the 2. Figuring out who actually are the best regular season teams means this activity is for removing playoff series, not expanding them, so the NBA has to move in one direction or another. Have a 116 game season with only the top 4 teams making the playoffs (1v4, 2v3) would be a jolt to the league, but maybe one that would work.
NHL would mean playing 31 opponents 2 times (1 home 1 away) for a 62 game season, cutting it down from 82, because if they play each other 4 times, it would require a 124 game season, that’s almost MLB-length, not sure NHL players would like that. If going with the 62 game season, same as the above, top 4 teams make the playoffs, but make the playoffs longer.
NFL would mean every team playing 31 opponents – even doing that one time would change the game forever. Impossible.
MLS would mean playing 14 opponents 4 times (2 home/2 away) for a 56 game season. This would expand the season a bit but not as bad as the NBA.
This would improve the regular season in all these leagues by a long way I think.
The leagues aren’t going back to way it used to be for two reasons. 1st, it would destroy rivalries. 2nd, the travel would destroy teams.
Both conferences have multiple teams under .500 making it…
Top 8 in the East ALWAYS has an under .500 team in it. Can’t say the same for the west.
This is unbelievable…wow
Play-in is ridiculous. Stop this nonsense.
But the media laps it up and casual fans don’t seem to mind. It ain’t going away at this point.
It’s stupid how the playin tournament is the 7 vs 8 and 9 vs 10. It should be 7 vs 10 and 8 vs 9.. the lesser record gets in makes no sense.
Why ????
Last two teams play for last spot. Next two last teams play for other spot. Hence the name. Play-in
Neither of you understand the way it works. The 7th team has the easiest route, the 10th has the hardest. To get in, each team must do the following:
7 must win one of two, both at home
8 must win one of two, one at home
9 must win two, one at home
10 must win two on the road
Try searching before you spout. Like I said.
Let me explain it like ai’ talking to a 5 yr old.
7th n 8th play. One gm. Winner is 7th seed.
Like I said ———-
9th and 10th seed play one gm. Loser goes home. Winner plays for 8th seed against loser of 7th n 8th seed gm.
Like I said ———- your phone is a computer. It allows you to search before talking BS.
And 39-42 makes it in the West. Amazing how the brain doesn’t work for clowns…..
Once again the East will have the Trophy.
Most HOF players by teams — Real talent
For all you Rookies. The East taught you ball …….. Learn the history. Or what do you really know ????? Bobble heads
NYC — with total (47) yup yup
1- Celtics (41)
2- Lakers (34)
3- Knicks (29)
4- Warriors (26) was an East team
5 – Hawks (26
6- Pistons (26)
7- Sixers (21)
8- Kings (21) was an East team
9- Wizards (20)
10- Nets (18)
11- Bucks (17)
12- Rockets (17)
13- Nuggets (15)
14- Spurs (14)
15- Bulls (13)
16- Pacers (12)
17- Thunder (12)
18- Suns (11)
19- Clippers (11) was an East team
20- Cavaliers (9)
21- Jazz (9)
22- Blazers (8)
23- Heat (8)
24- Mavericks (7)
25- Magic (7)
26- Raptors (4)
27- Hornets (3)
28- TimberWolves (2)
29- Grizzlies (2)
30- Pelicans (0)
The East has won 41 Chips. The West 36. With Lakers winning 17. So the West REALLY sucks….
Cavs or Celtics this year …..
link to google.com
I’m not judging which conference is better; I don’t care. But, you might have some errors. The Bucks, Hawks and Pistons were originally Western Conference teams. The Warriors won 2 Chips while in the East. And, the Celtics have won 18 Chips.
I would also point out. The two players with the most Chips, Bill Russell and KC Jones, went to High School and College in the SF Bay Area.
Bucks, Hawks, Pistons geographically have always been East. Pistons always East. Other two They were west cause of lesser teams in NBA. But never won as a west team. Imo there has always been a difference between east and west style olay. Not as much last 10 yrs. East has always been known as a tougher conference. More defense. West more as up and down. More scoring less defense. Cause they were newer younger L. So called fans (bandwagons) always throw out West is a better L. Cause I believe they are ahead in head to head gms in season. But that’s not the whole story. Bobble heads on here don’t know this. Don’t even bother to search it. The East is where it all started. Where the NIT in NY was bigger than the NCAA. Look up how many players from East went west to college in early days and changed the game in West. Im just saying know your history. Claim to be a ball fan. Then know how it got here. Thats for all of us. I search history all the time. Ignorance is too prevalent on sports forums. I just try and keep it real.
It is only because populations have shifted. It my lifetime. The SF Bay Area’s population has doubled. The University of San Francisco used be a powerhouse, until the death penalty. One of the greatest coaches in basketball history was born in Vancouver.
It is only because it is true. The NBA as ALL sports started in the East. Thats it ……. no debate.
Now you want to argue what area is better. Go ahead. Now they have been around long enough to have that debate. Still doesn’t change the facts and reality if the what the NBA is. So clowns who throw out stuff like Marty and other trolls. About the West. Don’t even know who has more chips. Or who has had the most talent. If it wasn’t fir Lakers and Warriors lately. They would be one step up from G-league lol.
Actually, Marty is from back East. That is without debate. He is clearly not from anywhere near here. Basketball is the only sport that created in America. I guess, technically, England is in the East.
The only thing I was trying to point is that you were knocking teams that haven’t existed very long.
Actually, the Bucks and Hawks won as Western Conference teams.
Yes they were. With Alcindor. But you are only proving my point. The East is where its at.
Both the Big O and Alcindor were from East. Two top 20 all time players . The readon why Bucks won their first chip
Hawks at eight seed can not necessarily be a pushover to the Cavs, if they can play their players to their strengths, and make the Cavs play uncomfortable. Cavs are still unproven in the playoffs and Trae Young thrives and rises in the playoffs. They can put them in trouble if they play well.
Okongwu – Dyson Daniels – Young. Core. If Rissacher breaks out in this series, they can create problems for the Cavaliers.
Besides, their bench of LeVert – Niang – Capela – Terrance Mann, has playoff experience and are established players (especially Capela, LeVert and Mann, though Niang is playing really well and has deep playoff run experience also with the 76ers).
Garland is key. If he makes Cleveland play as he knows, then the Cavs can keep cruising as in RS. If Atlanta can somehow entangle Garland and keep the ball off his hands, the Hawks’ chances increase.